BRATISLAVA, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- Double standards in product quality influence citizen's trust in the European Union (EU)'s single market, an EU commissioner has said here.
European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Vera Jourova made the remarks at the "Summit for Equal Quality Products for All" in Bratislava, local media reported on Saturday.
"The issue that has been discussed here doesn't concern the content of meat or sugar in specific products but concerns something far greater -- people's trust in the European single market," Jourova said.
Jourova said that she came to the summit to unveil a plan for addressing the issue of double standards in product quality.
"I think that we have a good plan that has been built on current European legislation. It's a result-oriented plan aimed at getting rid of the unfair commercial practice that features the production and selling of goods of different quality under the same brand," said the EU commissioner, adding that the plan is expected to be implemented in the next two years.
According to Slovak Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Gabriela Matecna, it was also declared at the summit that unified and joint methodology for testing food and products should be created within the EU.
"So that there are no doubts about what types of tests have been carried out by individual member countries, the tests and methodology should be united," Matecna said at the summit.
EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis stressed all EU citizens and consumers have the same status.
"There are no second-category citizens. I'd like to assure the public that no food safety rules have been violated so far, but we don't want the consumer to be misled. I fully support the proposals presented at the summit," added Andriukaitis.
